reality tv and audiences. key questions why do audiences watch reality tv? who watches what? how do...

Reality TV and Audiences

Key Questions Why do audiences watch reality

TV? Who watches what? How do they watch? How do producers target them?

© English and Media Centre

Producers, Technologies and Audiences – a Complex RelationshipWhat producers do to generate audiences for reality TV Broadcasters, commissioners and producers always

have particular audiences in mind. They identify and target their audiences in terms of:

demographics: age, gender, social class, region, ethnicity

psychographics: lifestyles, personality types, values and beliefs, based on specially commissioned profiling, industry case studies

market research: what genres/shows are successful, opportunities for more of the same, gaps in the market for particular groups

media technologies: creating and exploiting new media platforms to reach and draw in their targeted audiences.


A Complex RelationshipWhat audiences do with reality TV?

Audience theories suggest audiences can be: passive active interactive, engaging with

media technologies.


Who Watches What?Audience Demographics


Who Watches the BBC? A ‘Lifestyle’ Approach

According to the BBC’s commissioning policies for its channels:

‘aims to be the UK’s most valued TV channel, offering the

broadest range of quality programmes of any UK mainstream network’

BBC2 ‘is the mainstream channel of record for British life – restlessly curious, open-minded and yet spikily individual’.


‘At the core of BBC3’s schedule are our distinctive factual shows. From Blood Sweat and T-shirts and Britain’s Missing Top Model to The World’s Strictest Parents and Last Man Standing, our factual programmes are innovative, entertaining and thought-provoking’.

Tone: ‘3’s content is modern, distinctive and relevant to, though not excusive to, our core 16-34 audience. The tone of the channel is warm, personal and surprising, with real take-on value’.


‘is what intelligent TV looks like in the 21st Century’.

Tone: ‘unashamedly intelligent, lively, surprising, thoughtful ambitious, original, international in outlook, and connected to a wide-ranging interest in the world’.

Our audience: ‘not age, wealth or place of origin, but attitude. They are fascinated to see expertise and unfamiliar viewpoints expressed with passion, conviction and authority. Our viewers value powerful narratives, told with passion, intelligence and verve’.


Who does BBC3 think it’s talking to?

How do the shows listed here try to appeal to the ‘broad young audience’?


How do Audiences Watch?Different ‘Readings’ of a Reality Show Some people find The X Factor offensive or tedious, others find it

riveting; some find CBB fascinating, others find it idiotic. How you respond depends on who you are, your background, age, attitudes and values.

Some critics identify 3 main ways in which viewers react to – or ‘read’ – a text.

The preferred reading (the way the producers want you to see it) The X Factor is great family entertainment and full of lovely Cheryl Cole and talent.

The negotiated reading The X Factor is OK but only for older, undiscriminating, couch potatoes.

The oppositional reading (opposed to the way the producers want you to see it) The X Factor is offensive and degrading to contestants, is destroying the music industry, and undermines originality and creativity.

How do you read The X Factor?


Media Effects Some critics believe that audiences take in without question, and

are influenced by anything, that the media throws at them. They describe the audience as passive. This is sometimes known as ‘the effects model’ or ‘the hypodermic syringe theory.’

People who believe in the effects model often assume that: people (and society) will be ‘dumbed down’ by watching

reality TV audiences may be influenced by the ideas and values in some

reality shows (e.g. celebrity, getting something for nothing, putting other people down, etc)

certain types of viewers – e.g. teenagers, lower social grades, the less educated – are more vulnerable to such influences. Reality TV is often said to inspire crime cases, ‘copycat’, anti-social or passive behaviour.


Active Audiences Other critics believe we view TV in a more active way. Active audience theories suggest that audiences are

discriminating and thoughtful consumers and, increasingly, producers of media.

They argue that audiences: make judgements about participants, take active decisions about who to vote for get involved in the process of the programme seek out online information and extra footage, share views in

forums, join social networks, follow stories in the tabloids, etc.

Does this make reality TV audiences ‘active’?


Satisfying Our Needs The ‘Four Needs’ (or ‘Uses and Gratifications’) theory by

Blumler and Katz suggests that audiences use the media in four different ways.

Entertainment and diversion: to find personal pleasure and enjoyment; emotional release from everyday life and its problems.

Surveillance and information: to learn about the world, new experiences, other people; to satisfy curiosity; acquire new knowledge.

Personal relationships: to enhance and explore relationships with other people, find companionship or substitute friendships on screen.

Personal identity: to find support and reinforcement for one’s values and beliefs; to help understand oneself; to help explore one own identity.

How far might these explain the popularity of reality TV with audiences?


Four Stills from Reality TVProgrammes (See next slide)

Who might watch these shows – and why? Watch the four reality clips below, and choose

one to focus on in detail. What kinds of audiences might watch your

chosen show (age, gender, social class, ethnicity, interest groups, etc)?

What needs, interests, uses and gratifications might your chosen show provide for its audience?


Blood, Sweat & T-ShirtsBritain’s Got Talent

The Family Come Dine With Me


Targeting the AudienceScheduling finding the right time-slot for the target audience's needs; ‘stripping’ a programme at the same time daily over a week running repeats, extras, special events personalising with online and on-demand downloads

Interactivity (the latest buzzword – what every producer wants to achieve) phone-ins, votes, competitions, web-based forums, chat-rooms, social

network groups, text-message updates etc.

Synergy keeping you interested through cross-media promotions – merchandising,

websites, presenters/participants on TV and radio talk-shows, photo-opportunities and PR stories in the press, lifestyle and celeb magazines and so on.

Which methods work for you?


Putting It All TogetherViewing Figures (Week of 23rd November

2009)

Consider the shows listed here. What different types of reality show do

they represent?* What sorts of audiences might each

one appeal to? Why might each of these particular

episodes score such big audiences? Annotate the page to show what

you’ve learned about the ways producers target reality TV audiences.

Source: Broadcast magazine* Cast Offs: drama about a group of disabled people taking part in a TV

realityshow. Gracie: dramadoc about the life of Gracie Fields


reality tv and audiences. key questions why do audiences watch reality tv? who watches what? how do...

Documents

media centre slide

producers of media

active audiences

media effects

reality tv audiences

audiences watch

particular audiences

media throws